1 of 4 officers who fatally shot suspect took his own life the next day, Dallas police say
The Dallas Police Department has released surveillance video of a shooting where a murder suspect was killed Monday when four officers shot at him. One of the officers involved in the shooting took his own life a day later, police confirmed to Star-Telegram partner WFAA-TV.
At around 10 a.m. Monday, the U.S. Marshals Service North Texas Fugitive Task Force was serving an arrest warrant for 36-year-old Corey Thomas, who was wanted in connection with a July 24 homicide on Mentor Street in Dallas.
Thomas had an additional warrant out of Garland on a charge of deadly conduct, according to police.
Task force officers — including a deputy marshal, a Mesquite police officer, and Dallas Police Officers Matthew Bacon and Edgar Morales — found Thomas inside a pickup truck at an apartment complex in the 3700 block of South Tyler Street, in the Oak Cliff area, police said in a news release Wednesday.
Officers approached Thomas in the vehicle and tried to block him from escaping with their vehicles, police said.
Thomas — who was in the driver’s seat of the truck — tried to leave through the passenger door, which was blocked. He then pulled a firearm and pointed it at officers, according to the release.
Police are heard in the surveillance video from the apartment complex repeatedly telling Thomas to show them his hands.
The four officers then fired their guns and shot Thomas. None of the officers were wearing body cameras while working as task force officers “due to a federal memorandum of understanding that requires an amendment the department is seeking, which is currently under review,” police said in the release.
Dallas Fire-Rescue was immediately requested and officers began providing first aid, police said in the release. Thomas was taken by Dallas Fire-Rescue to a local hospital, where he died shortly after.
No officers were injured in the shooting.
Thomas’ gun was recovered from the vehicle and the truck he was in was reported stolen, police said.
Bacon, an 18-year veteran with the Dallas Police Department, took his own life on Tuesday, according to internal Dallas police memos obtained by WFAA.
Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia wrote in a memo that Bacon’s death is “a heartbreaking loss for our DPD family” and asked other officers to “never hesitate to reach out” when struggling with mental health issues.
A news conference about the shooting that killed Thomas had been scheduled for Wednesday morning, but was canceled.
This was the seventh shooting in 2023 in which a Dallas police officer killed or wounded someone.
The shooting is being investigated by the Dallas Police Department Special Investigations Unit. The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and Office of Community Police Oversight were notified and also responded.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is a hotline for individuals in crisis or for those looking to help someone else. To speak with someone, dial 988.
This story was originally published August 9, 2023 at 8:29 PM.
